te was hove-to, a boat was lowered, in which Adair went; and
sure enough, Alick Murray was the person seen. He looked ill and thin.

"My dear fellow, how do you come to be this in plight?" asked Terence,
as he jumped on board the little craft.

"It's a long story," said Murray. "We took her to the southward off
Benguela, and Captain Grant put me in charge of her to carry her to
Sierra Leone. She had the fever on board, I have no doubt, at first.
It broke out the other day after we parted company with the _Archer_,
and one after the other my poor fellows died. A black man and boy, whom
we took in the prize, are the only survivors, and they are still below
sick with the disease. I have been waiting in hopes of their getting
well and strong enough to make sail to proceed on my voyage. I'll give
you a fuller history another time."

"The best thing you can do is to let the little craft go her own way,
and come on board us," observed Adair.

"What, Paddy, would you counsel such a course?" exclaimed Murray.
"Captain Grant put me in charge of the vessel to carry her to Sierra
Leone, and while I've life in me that is what I am bound to do."

"Then, old fellow, I'll go with you, if Captain Lascelles will let me,"
answered Terence, warmly. "That's settled; I'll go on board and get
leave, and bring Dr McCan to have a look at your people, and to leave
some physic for them to take."

Away went Terence. He had a hard battle to fight with his captain, who,
however, expressed his admiration of the spirit evinced by Murray.
Needham and Wasser, and another man and a boy, were directed to go on
board to act as crew. Dr McCan came on board the schooner: and having
prescribed for Murray and his two negroes, and pronounced them in a fair
way of recovery, took his departure. Murray then made sail and shaped a
course for Sierra Leone, much happier than he had been for a long time.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

AN ADVENTUROUS VOYAGE.

Who would not rather command a gunboat, or even a despatch vessel or
fire-ship, than be a junior lieutenant, mate, or midshipman on board a
line-of-battle ship or the smartest frigate afloat? Such were Murray's
feelings as he and Adair paced the deck of the somewhat unseaworthy
little schooner of which he had been placed in charge by Captain Grant.
While he stood away towards Sierra Leone, the _Ranger_ continued her
course to the southward.

"I can't say much for your accommodation," observed Terenc